Her Demon
by Jordanalane
Summary: Suki was charged as a baby to rid her small village on the edge of the woods of the Fire Demon that killed your virgins every year. She trained herself every day to fulfill this task, makeing sure she would not let her family or village down. But when the time came she didn't know who was actually worth killing. Historic AU. Zuki. M For Violence and Sex.
1. Part 1

"This is finally it."

"It's sure to be this year."

"It's going to be over soon."

They all said different things but they were all speaking of only one person, the one who would be their savior, their hero: Suki.

"She will kill the demon."

She looked like all the other girls of the village; slightly taller than average, full lips, long auburn hair that she kept in a braid down her back.

"I did your braid the way you like it." The soft, round woman cooed down at her daughter, her only child.

Suki smiled, hands in her lap, eyes on their reflections in the mirror in front of them. "I like it."

The woman leaned down, wrapping her arms around the young woman's shoulders, hugging her close, lips kissing the side of her head. "I know that you're nervous, dear."

Suki laughed a bit, "That is an understatement."

"But know." The woman's chin was on the girl's shoulders, eyes locking via their reflections, "I would rather it be you, than anyone else."

Suki's strong hands went to her mother's wrists, a small, funny smile on her face. "Then I will be sure to not let you down."

One of the servants came into large room that was Suki's, drawing both of the woman's attention to them.

"Ma'ams, it's time to go."

"Yeah..." The woman's voice shook as she stood from Suki, the young woman stood as well, placing her heavy leather armor over her simple green clothing and her sword on her belt. They walked from the room together, their steps in sync, them both looking forward, chins held high.

They walked past the training ground, the same one in which she had been actively trained since she was just a girl. Since she was selected to free their village of the demon that lived in their woods.

It was this demon that had been on her mind every day, for as long as she could remember. It was this demon that had killed several aunts, and a few close friends. The same demon that only accepted one female virgin each winter solstice, and that had thrown off the ratio of men to women, effecting the villages very ability to survive and thrive in the world.

But no longer.

She was presented a bouquet of flowers when she left the house by an eager little girl and greeted with words of admiration from some of the young men of the village. She accepted both of them with a smile and a wave. All of the former fears and worries that had saturated her before, now seemed like a distant memory. She couldn't be like that, not around the people of the village. She had to be strong, to be the hero everyone thought she was, that they knew she was.

That is how it was, always.

It was more of the same as they walked through the village, towards the gates to the woods. Suki would smile, kiss children and blush at advances when she was supposed to. It was all fake, but it was what she had to do.

Suki and her mother approached the gates and the crows of people waiting there for them. Among them was a tall man dressed in shades of green, long auburn hair in a ceremonial style.

"Cheif Komik." Suki mumbled, bowing to the man in reverence.

"Suki." He sighed, reaching out and placing his strong, leathered hands on her shoulders, "You never had to bow to me, my daughter."

Suki stood with a nod, looking at him with a smile, "As you wish, father."

"I'm so very proud of you." he said to her in his soft voice, a proud smile on his face. "And I know that you can do this, that you can free us all."

Her full lips curled into a smile, bits of her auburn hair sticking out of her braid, "I won't let you down."

His hands went to her shoulders, "Whatever happens, you will bring me nothing but pride, my daughter."

She lowered her head as her placed his lips in a still kiss at her forehead, the young woman pulling away from his after that. She turned to her mother, both of them frowning softly. They shared a tight embrace, the woman fighting back tears.

Suki pulled away, just in time to stop from crying herself. "I will see you soon." She insisted to her mother. "When this is all over..."

"Oh corse." Suki nodded, pulling away from her mother with a soft smile. She started to walk from them, sword swinging from her belt. She took long even steps as she walked towards the woods, her head high, heart up in her throat. She reached the edge of the woods, then turned around back towards those in the village. They were all looking out at her, her mother and father standing in the center of the crowd.

Suki lifted her hand high above her head, fingers pointed to the sky. The village members followed suit, her family's hands the highest.

Her arm was lowered to her side, back turning from the only home she had ever known, stepping forward into the woods and towards her destiny.


	2. Part 2

She had been walking for hours before she stopped for water, dipping her calf skin bladder in a fresh spring. She sat on the soft rounded rocks, looking around the forest. It was becoming dark, and would be night at any time. She half wished that the demon would show himself, she had planned on being back home by now.

In a hurry or not, she could not help but feel at peace here in the forrest. This demon had at least picked a nice place to live.

It was then that she heard a noise behind her, it being little more than a shutter in the air. She stood up quickly, spinning around in place. The sound had shopped, but the air around her seemed different. It was warmer.

Suki's hand went to the heel of her sword, pulling it from its sheath in one quick motion. It was then that she closed her eyes, letting her entire body relax. It heighten her senses, her entire self becoming more away are everything around her. It was then that she felt it.

She pulled the sword up, turning place as she prepared to thrust it in the direction that she knew the demon was in, a mere few feet behind her. Her eyes opened as she did so, eyebrows raising at what she saw. Right before her the figure that had been there was surrounded by fire, the flames engulf her target and making it disappear.

Before the figure was swallowed by the fire she locked eyes with it, with the demon that had haunted her dreams and thoughts since childhood. She saw something that she never expected to, something that made her entire body shake.

Suki saw human eyes.

She snapped herself back into reality once the last of the flames died down. She spun around again, turning in the direction that she felt heat coming from. She squinted her eyes in the direction of the flame, trying her hardest to make out the figure in the heat. She ran towards it, drawing her sword back in preparation to bring it forward onto the demon, a strike that was set to kill.

It was gone in a flame in the next moment, the plume moving a few feet from where was was before. She tried to gather herself and adjust to this new style of fighting, one that she had not been ready for. That is what she had been training all the time for after all. To be ready.

She swung her sword wide, the tip of it making contact with the flaming figure. The fire burned brighter, a sound of pain coming from the demon. Suki smiled and licked her lips. "Finally." She hissed, preparing herself for another strike.

The fire jumped several feet away, and died down, leaving the figure standing before Suki, totally exposed.

"What are you?" Was all she could think, all she could say as she looked at the demon. If it even was a demon. As she looked at it all she saw was a young man, looking to be her age, dark shaggy hair, strong shoulders and eyes that were a piercing color or gold.

Then there was his eye. Not the color, but the skin on the left side of his face. There were fine scales, laying smooth, the colors changing and oscillating as he breathed.

She blinked in surprise, having not at all expected to find something human, let alone this handsome man before her. It took her one long second before her training kicked in again. Handsome or no she still had a job to do.

Her sword was thrust again in his direction, him vanishing under the blade and reappearing a few feet away. Suki growled in annoyance, swinging her word out in a wider arc, losing control of it. It flew from her hand clattering the the ground several feet away. She cursed under her breath, the blood in her ears rushing to match her adrenaline. She sought out her other weapon, a hand going to the small dagger she kept at her waist.

He was standing closer to her now, the scales on his face shining in the evening sunlight. A dagger trusteed in her direction was meet with a bow back from him, an arm outstretched to keep his balance. He reacted the same way to another attack, is hand reached out and taking ahold of her elbow as he leaned forward, the other hand going to her wrist.

Suki's eyes widened at the contact, feeling betrayed that the demon would touch her like this, that he would be able to.

"Don't touch me." She hissed, a dagger swinging in his direction again. He dodged, rolling her back and away from him. Suki froze when he did this, her jaw dropping. "Why aren't you attacking me?" She charged yet again, "Try and kill me!"

The demon blinked slowly, his gold eyes flickering as they both kept moving, her towards and him away. She was growing frustrated with each failed blow, each time he slipped away from her. "Hold still!"

She attempted to deliver one final blow, his hand catching her wrist and holding it firmly. His other hand caught her other wrist, holding both of them to prevent her from attacking. It also forced her to look at him, into his eyes, for a long moment.

"I don't want to hurt you." He finally whispered, his voice low and soft. "I won't hurt you."

"Fight me!" She yelled, snapping away from him and filling the still air in the forest with her sharp cry. She looked him over carefully, making note of his way he stood. He stood like no fighter she had ever seen, if you could even call him a fighter. He was certainly not the commanding and evil looking figure that their tales had always been told about.

"Wait... you're not the demon."

"Oh no..." He spoke again, the voice sending chills down her spine, "I'm him. I'm just not what you expected."

"Then what are you?"

There was not an answer from the demon, there was not time for one. He looked behind him, eyes widening in fear. "Oh no..."

It was then that she heard and felt it. It was clear that something very large and heavy was running towards them. She heard the heavy breathing of what sounded like a large beast. "What is it?"

"What you really should be afraid of." He whispered, reaching out and grabbing Suki's hand that was free of any weapon. "Hang on."

Suki gasped as the demon wrapped his free arm around her waist, pulling her to his body. She stiffened up in his embrace, the warmth of his body sneaking through her clothing. She looked up in the direction that the sounds were coming from, her jaw dropping. Running towards them was a large animal, towering any and all structures in the village, or anything that Suki had seen before.

She felt fear seize her, her knife dropping as that arm wrapped around the demon's waist, holding him tight.

"Don't worry." He said, his lips pressing to her cheek as Fire started to grow around them, "I won't let it hurt you." His arms went around her tight as the flames engulfed them. She felt the warmth of the fire surround and fill her, then felt a sensation of a warm wind engulf her. The only other thing she felt was the sensation of those warm lips on her cheek, of his breath on her skin.

The air around them stilled, the fire dropping as he pulled away.

Suki's hand fell to the side as she looked around her, eyes adjusting to the new surroundings. It was night now and they were in a deeper part of the forrest. The trees were closer together, larger than they were near the village. Out of the corner of her eye she could see a small cottage built into the side of a hill a door and two small windows betraying the small light from the inside.

She looked at the demon, who was pulling away from her, letting go of her waist and hands. "You're safe here." He assured her, the edge of his lips curling up a bit.

Suki drew her hand back, clenching it into a fist and bringing it forward, planting it square in his scaled eye.

"What the hell?" He stumbled back away from him, a hand going to his eye.

"Who are you!? What did you do!?"

"I just save your life." He groaned, pulling his hand away from his face.

"NO! You are the demon who kills women of my village!"

He rolled his eyes, touching the eye that was starting to swell up a bit, "That's right. I forgot that I do that." He shook his head, "Come inside. I will make dinner." He walked past her and towards the house, a hand still over his eye.

"Tell me who you are!" She demanded again.

He sighed, turning back to her with a soft frown, "My name is Zuko. I am the demon in which you were, I assume, sent to kill. However I am no demon, and I am of no threat to you."

"How can I be sure of that? How can I trust you?"

"Well so far I've saved you, and you've been the one who has attacked me. So really... how can I trust you?"

"Why do you trust me?"

He froze, looking her over with one long, painful gaze, "I'm not sure about that yet." Zuko whispered, "But you must be hungry." He motioned towards the small cottage, "Come on." He walked into the cottage, leaving the small wood door open behind him.

She had two choices, as she saw it. She could run and survive in the forest as best she could. She would regroup and try again tomorrow. Or she could go inside, eat with the demon, socialize with the demon. Then kill him in his sleep. She thought that the second option would be better. She needed to understand how powers better or else she would not stand a chance.

She followed him into the cabin, closing the door behind her.

It was small, even compared to the tiny cottages that she was used to in the village. One the one side there was a small fire place in the wall surrounded by pots and pans of various sizes and shapes, a black kettle hanging over a fire. The rest of the room seemed to be covered with a combination of herbs, dried flowers, packaged meats and other found objects. In the center a short wall was an alcove that held a small bed covered in pillows and blankets.

"This is..."

"Cozy?" He got some water out of a large pitcher of water, pouring some into the kettle over the fire.

"Nice." She said, watching him. "I would not expect a demon to live in a home like this."

"How would you expect a demon to live?" He placed a large black pan right on the coals of the fire, "In the pits of hell or something?"

"I guess I didn't think you would live anyplace, but just exist."

"How nice of you." He laughed, grabbing a small bag of potatoes from next to the fire. "You obviously didn't think the logistics of a demon life through." He started cutting the red vegetables, placing them in the pan.

Suki rolled her eyes, glaring over at him, "So if you arn't a demon, which I still think you are, what are you?"

"I'm am... well I was a man."

"And now?" She looked at a dried gourd that was hanging from one of the rafters, taking it into her hand and looking it over.

"Well..." Zuko stood up, walking to her and plucking a roll of meat from the rafter, "Not a man."

She looked up at his face, seeing how the scales around his eye seemed to shimmer in the light of the fire, "But you're not a demon?"

"Do I look like a demon?"

"Well..." She lifted her hand, reaching up running her fingers over the soft small scales around his eye, "I know no man with skin like this."

"You can blame your village for that." He pulled away from her, turning back to the fire with the meat in hand. "After so many years of being called something you start to believe it, let it take control of you, let it change you."

Suki walked to him, kneeling down next to him. She had been expecting so much from her would be opponent, what it was going to be like, what he was going to be like. It was nothing like what she was seeing before her now. He was human, and he was totally unexpected.

"I believe you." She whispered.

"Huh?" He looked over at her.

"I believe you." She sat on her heels, looking back at the fire, "You're not the demon." he said nothing as he cut the meat, throwing that into the pan with the potatoes. "So the girls... they were killed by the creature we saw earlier, wen't they?"

"You know it's rude to be invited over to someone's house for dinner and not give them your name, right?" He cut her off, looking up and over at her for a moment.

"Oh, right." She coughed, tucking some of the loose strands of her auburn hair behind her ear. "I'm Suki."

"Well, Suki." He cut off some of the meat with the knife in hand, offering her a piece, "It's nice to meet you."

Suki looked at the meet, slowly taking it with a shallow nod, "It's nice to meet you too, Zuko."

He looked back at the fire, slicing off a piece of the meet and eating it himself, flipping hair out of his eyes in the same motion. "You didn't answer my question though."

"Do you like tea?" The water in the kettle was starting to boil, prompting him to grab two ceramic cups from the side of the fireplace, plucking some dry leaves off a small gathering of them near by.

She nodded slowly, watching as he prepared the tea. "How is it that you can control fire?"

"What's with all the questions?"

"Well it's not like I get swooped up by a handsome, scaled man who can control fire when I'm expecting him to kill me everyday." He snorted in laughter, making her smile as well, "Can you blame me?"

"Well not when you put it like that." He sat back, looking over at her, "And you really think I'm handsome?"

She smirked a bit, "You are not answering my questions, so I don't have to answer yours."

"Fair enough." He stirred the food cooking in the pan, coughing a bit, "So... I will take you back to the village in a few days."

"Few days?"

"Yeah... that thing..."

"The monster?"

"Yeah. The Fur. He hates humans. So if you go back out now he is sure to get you."

"But here..."

"He won't come to this part of the forrest."

"But that won't work, I have to kill him. It's my job to kill him and protect my village." She insisted, thinking for the first time about her disregarded weapons, making a mental note to get them back.

"Killing him won't help." He mumbled, "In fact you will likely be killed if you try."

"I can't just let this go on! I have to protect my people."

"Trust me, there is nothing that you can do." He insisted, standing up from the fire, "The best thing for you to do is find a new village and forget all about your home."

Suki's jaw dropped, "How dare you! You know nothing of my village."

"Oh you'd be surprised." He retrieved two plates, putting food on each of them and handing her one, then a cup of tea. "I lived there... once."

"When?" She snapped, "I've lived there my entire life, I would have known you."

"Do you know all the handsome men?" He chuckled, eating a potato.

"I'm being serious."

"So am I."

"Then when did you live in the village?"

He stabbed a piece of meat with the fork, looking it over carefully, "Six centuries ago." He mumbled before popping it in his mouth.

"What?"

"Seven... actually..." He thought his eyes flicking upward for a long second, "No six. That sounds right."

"You mean to tell me that you're 600 years old?" She said between bites.

"Somewhere around that." He shrugged, "I've lost count."

Suki gave herself a long moment to think, to sink in what it is that he had said. All she could do was throw her head back in laughter.

"What?"

"You just..." She shook her head in her laughter, "There is no way that you are that old."

"Handsome knows no age, Suki." He joked.

She rolled her eyes, reaching over and shoving him playfully. "You're not gonna let that go, are you?"

"Never." He sat down his empty plate and took a long sip of his tea, which she mirrored. "I guess i should be flattered." He mumbled, "I don't get thought of as attractive very much." He reached over to his sleeve, pulling it up further than Suki had seen before. Beneath the fabric were more scales, these bigger but still carrying the same beautiful color.

Suki sat her plate and cup down, turning her attention to his arm. "May I?" He nodded and Suki reached out, placing her fingertips on his arm ever so lightly. He jumped, not at all used to this kind of affection. She slowly ran her fingers over the scales, laying her hand down to feel it further. "I like them." She whispered, "They're pretty."

"P-pretty?"

"Yeah." Her other hand joined the first one, finger tips running over the textured skin. "It's not every day people have things like this." She looked up at her, it suddenly hitting her how close they were to one another. "Is it only the scales?"

"Huh?"

"Do you have anything else odd?"

She watched as his face flushed over, him looking down at the fire, "I um..."

Suki felt her own face flush over, forcing her to withdraw her hand from his arm, "Sorry."

"Don't be." He insisted, giving her a light smile, "You can sleep in the bed tonight. It's pretty soft."

"Thank you." She nodded, "Will you sleep on the floor?"

"I will." He noticed the troubled look on her face, shaking his head, "Don't worry about it. I'm kinda used to it."

"You sure?"

"I am." He gathered their empty dishes, setting them in a nearby bucket. "I don't have any clothes fit for a woman, but I can give you some of my things to sleep in if you like."

"I would like that, yes." Zuko stood and retrieved her a pair of pants and simple shirt, Suki undoing the braid on her head and letting her hair flow free. She changed while he was outside washing the dishes and gathering water. She found the clothes to be quite soft and comfortable and found that when she looked at the bed it was like that as well.

She also found something else in the bed, something that made not only the bed, but the cottage and Zuko as well seem much more cozy.

"Why, hello pretty mamma."

The visibly pregnant, black cat that had been mixed in with the blankets looked up at Suki with a slow blink, her purr low and rolling.

"Her name is Ninx." Zuko said from behind her as he came into the cottage. "She is good company."

"It seems like it." Suki scooped the half asleep cat into her arms, Ninx mewed in protest but didn't move. Suki placed her on the edge of the pillow at the top of the bed, giving herself room to lay her head. "Is it only you here?" She asked, sounding a bit sad, a bit worried about him.

"Most of the time it's just Ninx and I. My uncle will come around from time to time."

"Uncle?"

Zuko nodded, placing the water that he had just retrieved into a bucket by the stove. "He will be around in the next few days so you will get to meet him."

"I look forward to it." She peeled the blankets back, sliding under them and placing her head on the pillow next to Ninx.

"I will see you in the morning." He smiled, "I know that you are tired." He looked back at the bed where his auburn haired quest had fallen asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. Zuko could not help but smile as he looked at her, his eyes locking with Ninx's, "Yeah... I kinda like her too."


	3. Part 3

She could not remember the last time she had woken up so peacefully, felt so at ease. She forgot where she was for a moment, but knew that she felt so at please and comfortable. It was when Suki opened her eyes and looked around that she realized, that she remembered.

It helped that he was the first thing she saw was him.

Zuko was shirtless, sitting in front of the fire place on the far side of the room. His knees were in the air, feet planted on the ground as he petted Ninx who was seated between his legs. Suki could hear Ninx purring from across the room, the happy noises of the expecting mother filling the small cottage. She flung herself to the ground in front of him, her paws rubbing the side of her delicate face.

Ninx was not the only thing that she took in. Suki knew that Zuko had been hiding something yesterday when she asked about his scales, and as he was sitting there she realized what.

It wasn't just his arms, but his back and side that was covered with scales, all of them the soft flexing colors as the ones she had seen the previous day. From her vantage point she also could see his spine. The bones were not a shape like there were on everyone else, but seemed to be sharper, making lumps under his skin stand out. She tried to think of where she had seen bone structure like that, but her mind was drawing a blank. He looked over to her, making Suki close her eyes quickly to act like she was still asleep.

She could hear the creaking of the cottage floor as he got up, moving around the small room. The front door opened and closed, leaving Suki alone. She opened her eyes again, sitting up and looking around her. She found the cottage to be even more perfect, even more cozy than it was the night before.

She slipped her legs out of bed, pulling one of the blankets around her as she took to her feet, quickly padding to the fireplace where Ninx was still lazing from before.

"Mornin' pretty." Suki cooed, scratching her head. Ninx seemed to smile at the contact, moving her head into Suki's hand. "I'm glad he has you." She whispered, looking around the little cottage again, "It's a nice life, but seems so lonesome."

Suki shook her head and stood, walking out the front door, looking for her host. The cottage was surrounded by a small yard. There were flowers, some of them surviving the cold spell and still in bloom. There were collections of random things like there had been in the cabin, rocks and other things. There also was the the soft sounds of clicking that filled the air.

Her bare feet traversed the soft wet grass as she explored further, turning the corner to find Zuko standing amongst a small flock of chickens, feeding them seeds from a pail he held in his hands.

"Mornin'." He mumbled, looking over at her. "Sleep well?"

"Yeah," She was upset that he had put a shirt on and tried to cover the disappointment in her face. She liked so very much the way he looked. "I loved the bed."

"I've always liked it." he looked down at the chickens as they pecked at the seeds on the ground, "I hope Ninx didn't bother you."

"Oh no. She's sweet. When do you think she'll have her kittens?"

"A week or so, her last litter came a bit late, so I could be wrong."

"It seems like it though, you can feel them moving under her skin."

"I love that feeling." He smiled, sitting the seed bucket down and covering it with a lid. "The kittens are fun to have around too."

"Now I know you're not a demon." Suki giggled, "No demon would love kittens."

Zuko crossed his arms over his chest, walking to her with a soft smile, "Well I'm glad that I have finally have your faith." He reached out taking a part of her long auburn hair and tucking it behind her ear. She blushed deeply at the contact, a smile on her face. "So..." He pulled away from her, "What would you like to do today?"

"Well..." She pulled the blanket closer to herself, "What do you usually do?"

"Explore the woods, meditate, practice."

"Practice?"

"Yeah, with Fire."

"Oh... how do you do that?"

"I'm a Fire Sage." He smiled proudly, lifting his chin ever so lightly.

"I didn't think they were around anymore."

"Well there aren't many." He lifted his hand up, using his fingers to spark a small fire. "My uncle and I are the only ones I've ever known."

Suki held her hand out to the fire, the familiar warm feeling that she had felt from the day before on her skin. "No wonder you're lonely."

"It's not all bad." He put out the fire with a flick of his wrist, "I mean I have Ninx, and uncle. And I ran into this pretty red head yesterday that I get to hang out with for a few days."

She laughed nervously, looking up into his eyes, flickering gold and shining. "Well I'm glad." He motioned back to the house, a soft smile on his face.

"Come on. I will make tea."

"I would like that."

Once in the house they sat in front of the fireplace, facing one another with Ninx lounging between them. They talked about the kittens, and how the small brothers and sisters would have to get along.

"I never had to deal with those things, luckily." She laughed as they were playing with the black cat.

"So you were an only child?"

"Yeah. My mother and father lost many children before I came along." She felt a pull at her heart at mention of her mother, at which she shook her head and continued, "After I was born my mother didn't wish to try again. I think that my father wanted a boy, but he seemed pleased with me in the end."

"How can someone not be pleased with you?" Zuko asked with a smile.

Suki rolled her eyes playfully, "Well it's tricky in our village, I might have been the one selected to be the sacrifice, leaving my parents without a child. Its a concern when you only have daughters."

"I see." Zuko mumbled, looking her over.

"Luckily thought when I was a baby I was selected to be trained to slay the demon, and save our village."

"How's that going?"

"Just as planned." She joked, her mouth twisting. It made Zuko laugh, shaking his head. "I'm sitting here sipping tea with the one who I was supposed to kill."

"To demons." Zuko smiled, holding his tea mug out to her. Suki taped there glasses together, a smile on her face.

"To demons." They both drank, locking eyes from the top of their mugs. They both blushed, a smile forcing them to pull the cup away from their lips.

"So what about friends?"

"Hum?"

"Friends. You lived in that village for your entire life, you would have to have some friends."

"Well yeah..."

"So... who are they?"

Suki sat the mug down by the fire place, only to have Ninx bat at it playfully, "My best friend was Ty Lee. Had been since we were little."

"Was?"

Suki nodded slowly, "She was the sacrifice last year." She said in a soft, sad voice. Zuko said nothing as he looked at her, as she seemed to re-live the occasion, "I had known that I was going to have to fight one year, that it was going to be my turn in the woods.

"Then last year Ty Lee was selected, when it should have been me that went in. I made her a necklace before she went, something for luck, something to make he know that she wasn't alone... I should have gone. I should have never let her go in there."

"Suki..." he sighed, reached out and taking her hand into his.

"I was so afraid." She had never talked to anyone about Ty Lee, about her fears. No one had ever asked, not until today. "I was always so scared of it, everyone is. But no one ever talks about it. So not only did i have the fear of going in, but the fear of failing at my task." She looked away, tears gathering on her eyelashes, "I'm a coward."

"No, you're human." He assured her, his thumb running over her knuckles. She looked up at him, her eyebrows creased and eyes distressed. "It's natural to be afraid... especially when faced with a daunting task, one that could mean your own death."

"I could have saved her though."

Zuko sat up up, crawling over to where she was sitting. Suki reached over towards him, wrapping her arms around his neck as she held him. Zuko reciprocated, his arms going around her waist as he kissed her on the cheek quickly. "Believe me Suki, there is nothing that you could've done to save her."

Suki relaxed in his arms, a sigh escaping her lips.

"Believe me?" He breathed into her skin.

"I d-do." she stammered, her face slipping into the crook of his warm neck, his skin on hers sending pings of pleasure all over her body. She had never been held like this by anyone, and it was a truly amazing sensation. One that she never wanted to end.

Much to her dismay Zuko moved, his hands slipping away from her waist. "It's gonna be ok." He assured her, flashing her a warm, kind smile.

She gave him a half hearted nod. She didn't wanna let him down, not now, not ever. But if she thought about it, if she really looked inside she did believe him. She felt like it was gonna be ok. That if her demon was a kind, beautiful, cat-loving young man, that anything was possible.

"I suppose I should tell you somethings about me." Zuko sighed from next to her, "Since you were so kind to share things about yourself." He thought about it, reaching back and tightening the top knot at the crown of his head. "My Uncle is not really my uncle. He was a Fire Sage that was my master, I learned from him."

"Why do you call him uncle?"

"He was the only family I ever had. I was an orphan in the village and he took me under his wing." Suki smiled a bit, eyes soft as she listened to him. "He was my only friend too... except for Kosoah." His voice dropped as he said the name, sadness in his voice.

"You don't have to talk about it, if you don't want to..."

"No." He looked at her with a soft smile, "I need to talk about it. It's only been 600 years." He joked, rolling his eyes, "I was so afraid to talk to her, to even look at her. Then one day I did, and I made a joke and she laughed and before I knew it we were in love.

"We spent 4 years stealing kisses and hiding from her father. We spoke of getting married, of starting a family." Zuko looked at Suki, noting the look of slight hurt on her face. "What?"

"Nothing." She shook it off, "What happened to her?" Her voice was shaking more than she would want it to, making her blush a bit.

"Well... she got pregnant, and she told her father. He was a royal jerk who treated her badly, had her entire life. She was afraid of him. She told him it was me, and that I forced myself on her." He shrugged a bit, looking down at Ninx, "I guess she did it out of fear of what her father might do. So I was banished, both uncle and I. We came to live in the woods, and I took my oath as a sage, gaining immortality."

"What happened to her?"

His head sunk, a frown on his face, "I don't think I wanna talk about it."

Suki looked at him, forcing a soft smile, "I understand."

"Thank you." He whispered, "Let's talk about something else..."

"Yeah... something happy."

"Happy, I can do happy. I have Ninx." He smiled, motioning to the cat who was still sitting in front of them and now cleaning herself, "I like cats."

"I noticed." She joked, "I've never had one before."

"Never?" He asked playfully shocked, making her giggle.

"No. We always had dogs. I had three of them to myself at home."

"Large, long hair, strong, I presume."

"How did you know?"

"They usually have dogs like that in the village." He smiled, "The chief at the time had a small army of them."

"It's likely the same line of dogs that we have now." Suki shrugged, a soft smile on her face.

"Huh?"

"It's the same dogs, likely." She noticed the way that Zuko was looking at her, his mouth turned into a small frown, "I didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

"I'm the daughter of the chief." Zuko's jaw dropped a bit, looking forward and away from Suki. "Are you upset?"

Zuko shook his head and laughed, a hand going to his forehead, "Why would I be upset about that?"

"I don't know, you just seem upset."

"It's just..."

"What?"

He averted her gaze to her, his gold eyes looking into her's. It was the way that he was looking at her that really shook Suki to her core. It was like he was not just looking at her, but was looking into her soul, into her past, present and, oddly enough, into her future. "I knew there was something special about you, that's all."

"And what's that?" She whispered, taking her bottom lip in between her teeth, matching his gaze.

His tongue ran over his bottom lip, forcing Suki to quake in pleasure as she sat there next to him. She felt like she was going to explode as his eyes drifted down to her lips, their faces close enough that they would feel one another's breaths on their skin. Her lip feel out of her teeth, leaning in closer to him and closing her eyes. Zuko leaned in as well, his eyes closing just as his lips were about to make contact with hers.

"ZUKKOOOO!"

Both of their eyes shot open and they pulled away from one another, faces flushed and lips longing.

"It's uncle." He whispered.

"I figured." She pulled the blanket closer around herself as he stood, going to the front door of the small cottage.

He swung it open, looking through it with a soft grin, "Hi Uncle." He said flatly.

"Its about time!" The small, stout man bust into the small room like a strong wind. "Not nice to leave an old man out in the cold my boy."

"It's not that cold out." Zuko received a large basket that his Uncle had shoved into his hands, a smile on his round face. "What's this?"

"Some meat and new clothes that I got from the village."

The old man had his back to Suki, leaving her feeling a bit odd. She stood up from her place in front of the fireplace, tucking some hair behind her ear. She tried to be quiet, but he felt the energy from the girl in the room.

He turned to her, a smile spreading over his face as he saw her, "Oh... hello."

"Hi." She whispered, the tan blanket slipping off her shoulders.

"Zuko!" He chirped, looking back at the young man, "What have I told you about bringing home young, beautiful women?"

Suki blushed, feeling somewhat betrayed that there might be others, but flattered at the compliment. Zuko saw the reaction but then looked back to his Uncle, "I don't know, what have you told me?"

"That you should do it more often." He said, looking back at the young woman. "My name is Iroh." He smiled, holding out his hand to hers.

"I'm Suki." She said with a smile, placing her hand into his. Iroh grinned happily, leaning down and kissing the top of her hand lightly.

"It's my pleasure to meet you, m'dear." He told her in a soft voice as he stood, "I do hope my nephew has been treating you well."

Suki nodded and with a soft giggle, "He's been making me feel at home."

"Did he make you tea?"

"He did."

"Oh you poor dear!" Iroh protested, "He knows better than to do that." Suki giggled as the old man moved his attention to the stove, fretting over the kettle, "I will make this up to you, I swear."

Suki looked at Zuko, noting the shy smile on his face as he looked at her. "It's ok. I thought the tea was good."

"You just don't know any better, the cold is getting to your head." Iroh insisted, forcing Zuko to roll his eyes. "But don't worry, we will take care of this." There was a little leather sack on his belt, which he undid to remove some tea leaves.

"Are you hungry, uncle?"

"No no. Not need to feed me. Just stay out of my way." He was working on the tea, having to move around Ninx who was still laying on the warm hearth.

Suki could not help but smile over at Zuko, who was rolling his eyes with a soft smile. Suki looked him over again, really wanting to walk over to him and place herself into his arms, into his embrace. She wanted nothing else.

"I'm sorry I didn't bring anything fit for a lady like yourself, Suki."

"It's fine." She insisted, looking back at Iroh, pulling herself away from her thoughts of Zuko. "I have my things from yesterday, and Zuko's clothing is quite comfortable."

"Oh is it?" Iroh raised an eyebrow, looking over at his nephew.

"Nice and soft, same as the bed."

"Bed?" Iroh looked over at Zuko, letting the one side of his lips curl up. Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing a bit. "I'm sure it's all very nice and soft."

"Uncle." Zuko groaned, "Enough."

Suki herself blushed a little bit, smiling softly over at Zuko.

"See!" Iroh cried out, "Suki thinks so too."

"Leave it alone." he snapped.

Iroh just grinned, flashing Suki a wink before going back to his work. Zuko and Suki's eyes meet, both of them smiling at the other sheepishly. The old man chuckled to himself, knowing the two young people in the room were feeling a bit awkward. He loved the effect that hung in the air.

The tea was ready in short order and Iroh had been right: Zuko knew nothing about making it.

"Hey!" Zuko cried out, his shoulders slouching.

"It wasn't that bad." Suki insisted, flashing Zuko a warm smile, "This's just better."

"You would think that after all these years you would think he could pick up on it."

"One would think." She smiled, glancing over at Zuko.

"He's a better cook than me though, so there is that."

"He is quite good at that." Suki commented, looking over at him for a second.

"I heard he is a good kisser as well." Iroh mumbled before taking a sip of his tea.

Zuko gasped a bit, blushing deeply as noticed Suki's blush as well. Iroh laughed loudly, shaking his head, backing in the awkwardness that he had caused.

The old sage could tell when he had outworn his welcome, and when the young couple simply needed to be alone.

"I will bring you some clothes, dear." Iroh informed Suki as he was getting ready to leave.

"Oh..." She glanced over at Zuko, "How long was I going to stay here?"

"Long enough that you might wanna were something other than my old clothing." Zuko mumbled, "Or you can... not."

Suki blinked in surprise, noting the ever present flush on his cheeks before turning to Iroh, "A few things would be nice. Under things mostly."

"Buy women's underwear?" Iroh's ears perked, a sly smile on his face, "I've always enjoyed it..."

"Uncle." Zuko threw his head back, groaning a bit. Suki shook her head and giggled a bit, tucking some hair behind her ear.

"Young people." Was all he said before he left the cottage, walking out into the small yard and disappearing in a large fame that the created. Suki smiled over at Zuko, taking her lip between her teeth.

"So..." He sighed.

"So..." It was then that Suki looked at Zuko, really looked at him. Sure she had noticed how he was attractive, how he was good looking. It was in the moment that she really saw him though, that she noticed some things about him. She noticed his his neck was strong, but slender; how his arms were muscled and long; height just right for her chin to fit firmly, most comfortably and perfectly on his shoulder.

She felt something inside of her, a tightening in her lower stomach, warm and wetness between her legs.

"Are you hungry?"

Suki snapped out of the trance that Zuko had put her in, looking at him with a face that she was sure was totally red. "Huh?"

"Are you hungry?"

"N-no." Suki insisted, "I just..."

"Yes?" He took a step closer to her, arms crossed over his chest, eyes locked with hers.

"I-I'd like to go get my weapons."

"The ones in the woods?"

"Yes please."

"It's not safe Suki...

"I need them though." She insisted, taking a step towards him with a soft frown. They were standing inches in front of one another, hands gathered in nervousness. "I need to kill that beast, it's been my life's mission.

"What about you? What do you want to do Suki?"

"I want to kill that thing, the thing that has killed my friends and people."

"But what do you really want to do? You talk about what you have to do for them, what you were assigned to. But what about what you want to do?"

She looked into his gold eyes, her full lips forming a soft frown, "I... I don't know what you mean."

"That what would your ideal life be, if you didn't have to do this? How would you live your life if you didn't have this task that was forced on you."

"Well..." She blinked a bit, looking down for a second before looking back at him. She had never thought about it. She had never even thought about it really. She had also never thought about her life after she had succeeded, after the demon was killed. It had never even occurred to her to think about it, to plan for it. "I've... I've never thought about it."

"Don't you think that's an issue? I mean you're beautiful, you're nice and smart and brave, and you've built your life up for one thing." He smiled a bit at her blush, "You mean to tell me you've never thought about getting married or having kids or anything like that?"

It occurred to her in that moment that she had never thought about these things. She had never thought about anything past the second in which she would drive the sword though the heart of the demon. She had seen people she loved, female friends and family, both die and live. The ones who lived getting married and having children. She would celebrate it, but would never think that she would get there herself.

However, as she was looking at the tall, would be demon as they stood in his small, cozy cottage that she thought of it. Not only did she think of it but she felt it, she longed for it. She wanted sleepless nights with infants and a flower crown on her wedding day. She wanted kisses and touching for the rest of her life, and she wanted it with no one other than him.

Suki froze, half afraid, half excited about her new self discovery. She looked down letting her hair fall around her face.

"I..."

"You should." He reached out and took her hand into his, their fingers lacing together like they were made to. His other hand went to her cheek, his square palms fitting against her face. She closed her big voile eyes, letting herself relax into his embrace. "You could make someone so happy."

"Someone?" She whispered, eyes opening and looking at him.

"Y-yeah..." he looked into her eyes for a moment before looking away, a flush on his cheeks. "Someone." He pulled away from her, looking down.

"Yeah." Suki forced herself to look away so that he would not see the look of hurt in her face.

"What?" He asked when he saw the look of hurt in her face, "Are you upset?"

She rolled her eyes, shaking her head, "No Zuko." She sighed, a bit of annoyance in her tone, "It's nothing like that."

"Well then can you tell me what it is?"

She looked back to him, eyes narrowing, "It's nothing. Nothing that I would expect you to understand." Suki snapped away from him, a heavy frown on her face.

"What's that supposed to mean?" His eye browed creased, reaching out for her shoulder. His hand grabbed it, trying to pull her back towards him.

"Get off me!" She snapped, pushing his hand away, "I told you you won't not understand! How could you understand it? You've been alone in the woods for centuries pining over some girl that left you!"

"Hey!" He yelled, "You don't know any fucking thing about me or that!"

"What is there to know!?"

"Plenty!" They were face to face, and as he was yelling Suki saw something odd. As he yelled, as he got more and more upset the scales on his face seemed to grow. It was only by a small amount, but it still grew, covering more of his face. "You think you have such a handle on life just because you've the daughter of the chief, just because you were assigned to kill something you didn't understand! Well guess what Suki, you have no fucking idea!"

Neither of them said anything as they faced one another, their eyes locked. Zuko was the one who finally looked away, "Do whatever you want." He turned from her her, leaving through the door and vanishing in a cloud of fire in the front yard.

Suki was left alone in the small cottage, shaking in place. She didn't know what was hurting the most. It could have been the fear of being on that side of this kinda anger, or the fact that it was him that was upset with her. That she had let him down, that she had ruined things with him. She had lost the only love she'd ever thought of.

She located her clothing from the night before and got dressed, finding an apple to sooth her growling stomach. Ninx cautiously approached Suki as she sat in front of the fire place, running her face against her leg. She reached down and petted her lovingly.

"Is he always so..."

Ninx looked up at the young woman, mewing simply before looking at the fire in front of them.

"I'm thinking so too..." She sighed, looking at the fire.

The door to the cottage opened slowly, Suki snapping her gaze at the figure in the door way. He looked tired, his clothing wet like he'd been in the rain. The thing that really upset her was the redness of his eyes, like he'd been crying.

She opened her mouth to speak, her jaw dropping but nothing coming out. Zuko closed the door behind him, looking all around the cabin, but not at her. Ninx welcomed him home with a simple mew, finally making him smile as he approached them both by the fire. He crouched down by cat, petting her head.

"I'm gonna take you to get your weapons." Zuko mumbled, not looking up from Ninx.

"Y-You don't have to." She insisted, "I can go get them."

"No." He sat down on the floor, his nails scratching Ninx's back, which she arched into. "It's best if I go with you."

"If you insist." She sighed, "I don't want you to think that you owe me anything."

"I would never think that." Her face softened into a frown when he said this.

"Well," She spoke softly, going to stand up, "We should get going."

"Yeah." She located the other things that she had brought to the cottage with her, as Zuko put on some long boots. Suki said a brief goodbye to Ninx, rubbing her stretched belly happily. "It was nice meeting you, pretty momma." Suki cooed at her, "Take care of those babies..." Ninx purred up at her, blinking slowly.

Zuko and Suki left the cottage, walking into the small front yard.

"Just get me there, you can leave me."

Zuko nodded slowly, stepping forward and wrapping his arms around her waist. Her hands went to his broad shoulders and she felt herself trying as hard as she could to ignore how he felt under her skin.

"Ready?"

She nodded and they were consumed in a cloud of flames, the heat wiring around them. Once they died down and Suki pulled away she found herself in the woods yet again. It was the same woods as the day before, the ones that she had fought Zuko in.

"You can go now." She whispered, looking away from him.

"Fine." He pulled away from her, arms snaking away from her waist. She felt slightly light headed from the loss of contact, the loss of his warmth of her skin.

She shook her head, walking from him in search of her lost weapons. She located her sword in short order, placing it back into the seilve. She looked behind her and saw that he was still there, following her from several feet away.

"I told you that you can go."

Zuko looked at her with his face formed into a soft frown. "If it's ok I think I will wait to make sure you're ok."

"Now who is the one who owes the other something?"

"Then ignore the fact that I'm here and just do your thing."

"Whatever." Suki rolled her eyes, locating her dagger from the day before and placing it back into her belt line. He started walking closer to her, constantly looking around. It was actually making her a little bit nervous. "Come on." She started walking further into the woods, thinking that it would be a good place to start looking for the beast.

They didn't even have to walk far before they heard the thumping and heavy breathing that they had the day before. "It's here." Zuko mumbled.

Suki pulled out her sword, standing at the ready, "I won't fail this time."

"And I'll be here to help." Zuko said, standing next to her. She shot a quick glance at him before nodding softly.

They stood, side by side as The Fur started to charge at them again, it's large body bouncing off the the trees that it moved between. She was able to get a better look at it today, noting the hair that covered it, as well as a face that was scrunched up and folded in on its self.

"He's an ugly fucker." Suki laughed, making Zuko chuckle as well. It was running towards them, baring his teeth with a growl. He charged at them, both of them ducking and rolling out of the way before he made contact. Suki thrusted her sword out, the tip of it dragging across the beasts's flesh. Zuko blasted fire at the beast from his hands, cutting it off just as the beast past to avoid hurting Suki.

They watched it run past, turning abruptly in place and looking back at them, mostly Suki. It seemed to be transfixed on her, his eyes sparking with anger. "It must know that I'm the sacrifice," Suki mumbled. "How do we kill it?" She yelled over at Zuko.

"The neck." He yelled back, "Skin is always thin there."

Suki nodded quickly, placing her sword back into it's place and running at the beast. Zuko frowned heavily, shaking his head as he followed suite. As the beast was charging at her she grabbed some of the hair on the side of its body, using them as momentum to lift herself and onto the beast's back. She landed on it's back, straddling it around it's shoulders. She withdrew the small dagger from her belt and placed it at the apex of it's neck, shoving it downward.

However the skin was so thick that she could not get the knife in at all. "It's not working!"

Zuko ran towards the beast, who was now bucking in attempts to get the object on it's back off. By generating powerful blasts of fire from his fists he was able to jump high above the beat's shoulders and into it back, settling behind Suki. His arms went around her waist, bodies pressing together.

He reached around her, grabbing the dagger from her. "Let me try..."

He pulled the dagger to his face, breaking onto it with a steady breath. The blade of the knife turned red hot, heat penetrating it. He gave the knife back to her and she repeated the same as before, the heat letting the blade go in a bit further.

"Still not far enough!" She called back, thinking as she looked down at the neck of the beast. "Does it know how to swim?" She pulled the blade out, putting it back in her belt.

"I have no idea!"

"Well lets find out!" She looked back to him, a large smile on her face. "Use your fire to transport us to the middle of the ocean!"

"What!?"

"Can't do it?" Suki laughed a bit, "What happened to the all powerful Fire Sage?"

Zuko rolled his eyes playfully, a smile dancing across his face. "Ok..." He removed his hands from around her waist, holding his arms out next to him. "Hold onto it!"

Suki's fingers gripped the hair on the back of the beast tighter as Zuko raised his arms above his head and brought them both down in swift, sweeping motion. Fire erupted from his hands, fire that moved around both them and the beasts, circling and churning in heat.

She closed her eyes, feeling the familiar whirring sound that came when she was transported by him. The next sensation was one of falling, the fire moving away from them. She felt his hands going back around her waist, the beast falling away from them.

Suki could not help but smile as The Fur let out a deep cry of fear and anger, it hurting closer and closer to the vast water below them. It hit the water with an earth shattering splash. His arms were tighter around her waist as he kicked his feet in the direction that the beast had just landed in the water. With the momentum from his feet, fire was created giving them a slight push in the opposite direction.

In the next second they both hit the near freezing water, the force of it separating them. Suki had never been the strongest swimmer, but she knew enough to keep herself alive. Her legs kicked against the water, lungs screaming for air against the cold water. She broke the crest with a heavy gasp.

"Zuko!?" She looked around her, frantically trying to find him in the choppy water.

"Here." He was behind her, hair sticking to his face as he treaded water.

For someone that she had been so mad at, only a little bit ago, Suki felt more excitement than she ever had at seeing him swimming behind her. "Your ok!" She yelled, half laughing as she swam towards him. "And you did it!" Her arms went around his neck, as she laughed. "We did it!"

Zuko blinked in surprise at her action, but could not help but smile himself when he saw her happy expression. "We did." He said as he swam enough for for both of them. "I didn't think it was possible but we did."

She didn't think about what she did next. She didn't have a chance to. The joy and excitement of what was going on was just too much and she had long surrendered any feelings of shyness over to him and to this moment.

In one swift movement she closed her eyes and moved into his space, pressing their lips together in a soft seal of a kiss. He was startled in that first moment, a heavy blush flooding his face as they dipped into the water a few inches. He found himself placing his long arms around her as the kiss deepened, as their lips became more entangled with each passing moment, forcing them to slip even further into the sea.

Reason caught up with adrenaline, forcing Suki to pull away, eyes locking with him. She opened her mouth to speak, so say something, to say everything that was on her mind but it was cut off by the sound of the best breaching the water, his cry more anger than had yet been heard from him.

The young couple, still holding onto one another, looked at the beast as it frantically paddled under the water, holding its head high.

"Fuck." She mumbled, fingers digging into the hair at the back of Zuko's neck.

"We have to get out of here." He looked around, noting that land was far beyond anything that they could swim to, let alone out swim the creature.

"Send us back to the cottage!"

"How?"

"Use that fire thing you do!"

"Were in water, I can't use fire to do anything!"

"You have to!" She called out to him, the beast letting another roar that made the air all around them vibrate with anguish. "Zuko please!"

He closed his eyes tight, taking a deep breath as his face scrunched up. Just as the beast was turning around in the water, making its way to them their were once again surrounded by fire, the fumes separating them from the water around them. She held her breath, arms tight around him as they moved. They crashed to the ground, water falling away from them as they laid together in the front yard.

He was ontop of her, his warm body chilled a bit from the great amount of power he had just used. He wasn't moving, his head down and arms limp. She called out for him, trying to shove him off her but only found that he was too heavy to budge. She then noticed the ice and snow around them, right where they were laying. The temperature around them had dropped considerably and the subzero temperatures were freezing her soaked skin.

Her teeth started chattering, goose bumps raising across her skin in a matter of moments. He seemed to get heavy as the seconds passed, as she got colder and colder. He finally stirred, moving on top of her, "Suki…? Are you ok?" She heard him whisper, but she could not respond. She was outside her body as he was removed from atop of her, as she she felt herself being picked up, her head against his warm body.

The next period of time was a blur that ended with her laying on a bed that had been made for her out of blankets in front of the fireplace. Ninx was with her, her small warm body curled up at Suki's stomach. The young woman reached down, her body moving slowly, and petted the cat softly.

It was then that she felt him. It was his arm draped across her waist, nose in her hair, long body pressed against her back. Her lips curled into a smile, hand going to the top of his. A shiver traveled down her spine as their fingers laced, palms pressing together.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you earlier." He whispered, making her jump. "Also sorry that I scared you just now." He said frantically, speaking into the back of her head.

Suki could not help but smile, letting her eyes flutter closed, "I should be the one saying that I'm sorry." Suki insisted, "You were right, I don't know about you and your situation so I should have never said anything about it." She felt his lips at the base of her skull, placing soft, skill kisses there. "I was just upset."

"Why would you be upset?"

"I guess it was jealousy, also confusion cause…"

"Cause...?"

"Cause I was supposed to kill you and now I'm falling in love with you."

Zuko froze. She knew that she had spoken too much, that she had let too much known. She wasn't sure what to expect of him, half expecting him to light her on fire or something of the sort. Really who was she to think this sort of thing about him? She had been told her entire life that she was something special, something better than all the other children her age. But when it came to Zuko, when it came to being in his arms she felt totally humble. She felt like she was in no way deserving of his attention, let alone love.

"Well…" He finally spoke, his breath hot on her neck, "This won't do at all."

"Oh?" She shook a bit in his arms, the feeling of rejection flooding her.

"Yeah. I don't want you falling in love with me," the one side of his lips curled into a smile, "I want you in love with me."

Suki sat up, Ninx not bothering moving from her position on the make-shift bed. She looked down at the Fire Sage laying behind her, his hand still on her waist. She laid back down, their stomachs together as she cuddled close, their arms holding one another tight.

Their lips meet, not frantic or powerful like it was earlier, but soft and sensual this time. His lips were so soft and warm, her own melting like butter as they were on his. They laid on the small bed that he had made of blankets, simple kisses leading to teeth dragging across lips, hands moving over one another's skin. One kiss lead into the next, lungs starving for air, but pure bliss surrounding every moment of the encounter.

The kisses were never ending as they laid in front of the fire, Ninx curled up at the small of Suki's back.


	4. Part 4

**This is the smut portion of the story. Thus it is an optional read. **

* * *

She laughed the moment that she was able to process the scene in her vision.

The night before had been spent kissing in front of the fireplace, the two young people embracing one another for what felt like hours. It had led to his bed where they fell asleep, wrapped in each other's arms.

It was where she has woken up that morning, in bed with him. They were not alone though. Ninx had made a bed on the side of Zuko's head, her front legs folded up and resting on his temple, eyes blinking slowly, half asleep as she looked at nothing in particular. Zuko was still sleeping, his eyes closed and lips pressed into a thin line.

Suki bit her smiling lips, a flush on her cheeks as she looked over the face of the man sleeping next to her. His eyes twitched now and then, cheeks warm from the heat of the cat laying across the back of his head. A hand reached out, a finger running over the cheek with soft sign. She wanted him to wake up so that they could kiss again, so that he could hold her again.

Instead she scooted herself closer to him, her face going into the crook of his neck with a soft sigh. She loved the way he smelled, the way that his heartbeat could be felt against her lips. Suki allowed her hands to travel, to explore him. The tips of her fingers danced under the blanket, over his skin in long, soft strokes. Her eyes closed, letting her digits paint a picture of what his body was. Saying that she liked what she saw was an understatement.

His skin was warm and soft, with rough patches on his hands and elbows. Even the rough patches were sensual in a masculine way. She also felt the patches of scales, slick and soft. She loved them just the same. There were muscles. Soft, but powerful, twitching every so often, skin goose bumping under her fingers. His body hair was dark, but thin and soft, just like the hair on his head. He found this grouping of them on his lower stomach, it leading down into his pants. She wanted to explore more of his skin, more of his body, more of the hair that went downward. She needed to know and feel it all but forced herself to stop. She thought that he would not appreciate it if he woke up in the midst of her touching him. Her hand withdrew, a sigh on her lips as finger tips missed him already.

"Why did you stop?" He groaned, eyes tightening.

Her entire body tightened up, pulling her arms into herself. "I-I.."

"I liked it." His eyes fluttered open, lips that had been flat curling up into a soft grin. "Been a while..." He lifted Ninx off his face, moving her so that she was laying on his pillow next to his head.

"You don't think it's weird?"

Zuko rolled over onto his side, a hand going to her waist and resting there, "No... Just makes me a bit nervous..."

She was pressed against him again in a second, one hand going to his cheek and holding it tenderly. "Because of the scales?" She could tell that he had pulled away emotionally after her question. He tightened up, face getting hotter under her hand, eyes closing. "I wanna see." She whispered.

"Huh?"

"I wanna see what you look like, Zuko. Show me."

Her eyes locked with his, her voice commanding and sure. Suki reinforced her command with a hand going to the bottom of his shirt, to that gathering of dark soft hairs below his belly button. His breath shuttered, jaw dropping a bit at the contact; both making her smile.

Zuko sat up, slowly peeling the worn red shirt that he had had on off. He flung it to the side, sliding back down next to her with a soft, awkward smile.

His face was not what she was looking at.

As soon as she saw the patches of scales she wanted to touch, and kiss every inch of them. She moved her head forward and down to his chest, her full lips making contact with a large gathering of them that covered his right pec. She felt him gasp under her kiss, making her smile and want to do it more, wanting to never stop.

"Suki," He mumbled, sounding like he was still asleep, "I think I'm the one who is supposed to do this to you."

Her lips closed around his nipple, tongue flicking against the tender skin. He gasped again, back arching into her mouth. Hands started moving over his skin again, palms reaching around his hips, grabbing his firm ass.

"Shit..." He half laughed.

"To much?" She whispered, releasing the suction that she had had on his chest.

"No." He was panting a bit, "I like it." He rolled onto his back, her rolling with him. "You've... never done anything with a guy, have you?"

She pulled away from him, blush creeping across her cheek. "W-why? Am I not doing it right?"

"No you are doing it exactly right." He laughed, reaching down and tucking some of her hair behind her ear. "I just didn't expect this."

Suki's tongue swept across her bottom lip, sitting up and straddling him with her knees trapping his thighs, "What did you expect?"

"Just not this..."

Suki placed her hand between his legs, her smile widening and jaw dropping as she felt an obvious erection.

His reaction was another sense of pleasure for her. Seeing his eyes roll back into his head, chin arching towards the ceiling was enough to make the flesh between her legs quake and drip in excitement. Almost on instinct her hand started moving over the rock hard member, fingers working on him.

"Shit Suki..."

"Is this ok?"

He laughed a bit, looking down at her hand on him, a soft smile on his face, "Yeah." He looked back up at her, "I wanna see you though."

"M-me?"

Zuko nodded, hands reaching out and taking up the bottom hem of her shirt. "I need to see you."

"No." She insisted, her hands going to his to hold her shirt down, "I don't..."

"Come on, I already saw you naked." he laughed, pressing their hands together and forcing her back gently.

"When!?" Her hands snapped away from his, going to her chest and covering it up.

"Yesterday after we got back." He lifted himself up on his elbows, "I had to take your clothes off so you didn't freeze to death."

"Oh..."

"So don't worry... I know what you look like..."

"And?"

"I wanna see again." He smiled a bit, laying back on the bed before reaching forward and taking the fabric of her shirt into them. Together, slowly, they pulled off her shirt, throwing it to the side were Zuko had discarded his. His eyes were wide, lips smiling as he looked her over.

"What you remember?" She whispered, looking bashfully at him.

"Better." He held her around the ribcage, thumbs rubbing the side of her breast. "Last night I was mostly worried about your dying so it took the romance out of it."

"And now?" She took his hand into hers, moving his palms over her nipples.

He responded with a groan, hands pressing into the soft pillows she had placed his hands on, compressing them against her ribcage forcefully. She reached back down between his legs, feeling the hardness that made her legs shake and breath hitch. His hands fell from her as her fingers started to explore his manhood, tracing all the hard lines though the fabric.

"I've always wondered, you know?"

"Wondered what?" He whispered, his head waving from the blood that was going to the organ between his legs.

"What a man looks like... there."

"You wanna see?"

Suki nodded quickly, fingers going to the band on his pants. She pulled them down in a swift movement, the tip of his cock, followed by the rest of it sliding from the pants. Zuko watched the reaction on her face, a smile on his.

"Was it what you thought?"

"I'm not really sure." Her lips were wetted by her tongue as fingers when to the member, wrapping around it, feeling the raised veins and soft skin. "I like it though." She insisted with a soft smile, her other hand playing with the hair right above the base of the shaft. "It's..."

Zuko rolled his head to the side, shaking a bit at the contact, and the feeling of her on him. She felt a great sense of pleasure at seeing him squirm under her. It didn't matter that she didn't exactly know what she was doing, he seemed to love it and seemed to want more. She started to run her fingers over him, her hand hand starting to explore the rest of him, taking her time to learn everything that she wanted about him.

"S-Suki... you have to s-stop."

"Huh? Is something wrong?"

"No." he laughed, looking up at her, "I'm just gonna come if you keep going."

"I wanna see it."

"You wanna see me...?"

"I wanna see everything you do, Zuko." His face flushed over heavily, looking up at the topless woman sitting atop him.

"R-really?" She nodded, hands working on him harder, more thoroughly. She grew more and more excited each moment, seeing his reaction and the way that his face was getting redder as the seconds passed. There was a gasp from him, making Suki look down at his cock in her hand. He shuddered as he came, releasing himself into her hand and himself.

Suki watched him with much curiosity, the pulsating feeling between her legs on the verge of driving her mad. The look of pleasure, of relief on his face only fueled this desire.

Zuko finally sat up, looking at Suki with a soft smile. "That was..."

"Ok?"

"Perfect." Her hand was withdrawn from him, looking at the semen on her hand. "S-sorry about that..."

"No, it's fine." She inspected the runny, white substance on her hand, lifting it to her mouth and licking a bit of it off her skin. His eyes were wide, watching her as her expression turned sour, licking her lips before dropping her jaw a bit. "That's not tasty."

Zuko shook his head, laughing a little bit, "You're crazy." He wiped the rest of it off with his discarded shirt, Suki watching him intently. "You know it's your turn now, right?"

"What?"

"Your turn." His hands went to her waist line, going to pull down her pants.

"Wait" She cried out a bit, hands snapping to his, "I..."

"What?" He frowned a bit, "Do you not want me to?"

"N-no. I do. I'm just a little nervous."

"Don't be." His arms went around her waist, pulling her close and rolling her onto the bed. The movement caused Ninx to flee from her spot, leaving them alone finally. Zuko was hovering over her with a hungry look on his face as he looked down at her, "Trust me?"

Her hands went to his chest, rubbing him eagerly. "Yes. I trust you."

She watched his eyes take on a loving glow, the edges of his lips curling up. She felt herself melt into the smile, knowing that she did in fact trust him.

His hand slipped down to her pants, a single finger slipping into the band and pulling them down to expose a gathering of fine, dark red hairs. Even though she knew that he had already seen her like this, it was still unnerving for her as they worked together to pull her pants down and off.

She was finally naked, laying under him with spread legs and a red face. When he his hand made contact with her center she felt like she was going to explode. She was sure that he could feel her dripping for him.

"Wow." His finger dipped into a liquid center, both of them shivering at the contact.

"I've never been touched like this before."

"Do you touch yourself?" She nodded, almost bashfully as her violet eyes looked up at his. "Show me."

Suki gasped a bit, a hand slipping between her legs, obeying his command. As his finger slipped out of her, her's moved past dark lips and pressing against her clit. She shuttered, starting to move the pad of her finger against the sensitive spot. His finger joined hers, it moving at the same time as Suki's did.

"N-no." She stammered, hand moving away from herself and trying to sit up, "I c-can't."

Zuko's strong hands went to her hips, gripping her tight, "Relax Suki." He whispered, crawling down on her. "I'm gonna take care of you."

"It's just weird."

"I know it is," He pursed against her skin, "But it's gonna be worth it." He placed his lips against her soft lips, tongue snaking out and making contact with her center. Suki gasped, knees lifting up off the bed and into the air, her head forced back into the pillow. He licked her, tongue flat and powerful against her sensitive wet flesh.

"Zuko..." Her voice shook, hand going down to the back of his head and pulling on his hair. "That's..."

He moaned in response, working against her in short, quick, powerful licks, the tip of his tongue dragging along the bottom of her clit. Suki could not help but yelp at the movement and look down at him. He looked so sexy, so handsome, so powerful with his face between her legs, nose buried in the gathering of dark red hairs.

He slid his mouth down on her, tongue slipping into the softness of her body. He lapped hungrily at her sweet juices, a moan deep in his throat. She rocked her hips against his mouth as his hand rested on her lower stomach, his thumb rubbing against her sensual nub. Her body and mind because one long pulse of pleasure, the overwhelming stimulation forcing her body to coil up around him.

She opened her mouth, to beg him to stop, to beg for a moment to collect herself, but all that came out was a moan in his name, fingers pulling on his hair. The feeling of his tongue moving inside her is what did her in, is what caused the explosion in her head and between her legs.

She filled the cottage with a sound that was between a moan and scream as she came. Suki was panting, crying out a bit as she rode the waves of pleasure that kept coming, kept rolling through her like his tongue was rolling against her. When she came from her high Zuko pulled himself away, looking up at her with a soft smile, tongue licking his lips.

"I told you it would be worth it."

Suki laughed, letting go of his hair and placing her arms across her stomach, her breath short as she panted.

He slowly crawled up her, his lips curling into a smile as he watched her twitching in pleasure. "You taste so good." He whispered down at her, studying the small beads of sweat on her forehead and neck.

"Do I?" Her eyes flicked open, meeting his.

Zuko nodded, leaning down to her and pressing their lips together. He seemed to kiss her with his entire mouth, the smell and taste of her heavy on him. It made her already sensitive body tingle with pleasure to taste herself mixing with him, to taste herself on him.

"See." He pulled away from her with a grin, holding himself up with his hands at either side of her waist.

"I love you." She whispered up at him, hands moving to his face.

"So love, and not falling in love?"

"No. Love… I love you, Zuko."

"I love you too." He echoed, their lips finding one another in soft seal of a kiss. She felt her entire body relax and form to his. She really did love him. She loved the what that his hips nestled against hers, the way that their lips matched and she could not get enough of it.

There was only one more thing she wanted from him.

"I want you inside me." She said into the kiss, breaking it for a moment.

"Are you sure? It's going to hurt."

She nodded quickly, "I need it."

Foreheads pressed together, noses touching as their eyes locked, "I-I don't know, Suki."

"Please." Her voice shook, eyes closing as her lips puffed out for him. If she could have done it on her own she would have forced him in herself. Her body was so ready, so lost in blind need that she was willing to do anything to have the want satisfied.

His hand went down between his legs, fingers wrapping around his cock. She felt the momentum from the action, a smile on her face, a sigh on her lips.

"It's gonna hurt, tell me if you need me to stop."

Suki nodded, fingers digging into the hair on the back of his neck. "I trust you."

She watched as his fingers went down between her legs, tip slipping past soft folds. She shivered as his hips moved down towards her, his hand guiding the tip of his cock into her soft center, making her shiver under him.

"You're beautiful," he sighed as his hips pressed into her.

Suki gasped, chin lifting up and towards him, her velvet walls stretching to make room for him. Her breath shuttered, eyes clenching closed as a shot of pain ran through her. Zuko pressed further inside of her, the tip of his cock tapping into a part of herself that she had never ventured to before.

She felt the tear, whining in pain with fingers in his hair. He stopped, looking down at her with wondering eyes, "Do I need to stop?"

"No." Her arms went under his, gripping onto his shoulders firmly, "Keep going."

Zuko nodded, leaning down and kissing her, his hips sliding forward as he pressed into her further. Her nails dug into his skin, pulling away from his lips and throwing her head to the side.

"Don't stop."

"Suki..."

"I love you..." Her arms around around his neck, holding him tight. "And I want to do this with you."

He kissed her softly on the cheek, sliding in till their hips were nestled against one another's. He withdrew himself, his grip tight around her waist. Suki moaned softly, forcing his head over so she could place her face into his neck. Her knees pulled up higher as he started rocking his hips against her, his cock sliding in and out of her.

She was trying to concentrate on anything other than the pain, other than the stretching of her tender skin. She concentrated on his smell, on his strong abs that were rubbing against her flat stomach. She tried to think about the way his lips were on her neck, softly sucking and kissing her skin. She focused on the fact that this powerful sage, this would-be-demon, was loving her, was inside of her. It was this that finally allowed pleasure to start creeping into her body, it starting between her thighs and trickling down her legs.

He sat up, propping himself up with his hands on either side of her waist. From this vantage point he could look down at her, his lips curling into a smile as his hips stilled on her. She blushed as he looked at her, waiting to pull away and hide from him and his golden gaze. She was unable to move, her body loved this feeling too much.

"This is... ok?"

He could not help but smile at her, "I should ask you the same thing."

"It's just..." She looked down between them, looking at the connection their bodies were making. "Different."

"But it's... right. Right?"

She looked up at him, giving him a slow nod as her lip was drawn into her teeth.

"So right." The one side of his lips curled into a smile as he leaned down on her, covering her with his sweaty body, kissing her tenderly. Suki moaned into the kiss, sucking on his bottom lip that was trapped between her's. They kissed tenderly, thoroughly as his hips started to move on her again.

It felt different this time, better, perfect even. A moan in his lips apparent of such. He gasped into the kiss, hips grinding into hers in slow, deep circles. She forced her body to relax, to allow his body to rock against her's in painfully perfect thrusts.

One of Zuko's hands went down between them, to where their bodies were connected. His thumb grazing her clit again in movements that were just as slow, just as perfect as the movements his hips were making. She shook under him, fingers gripping at the strong muscles on his back.

Suki bit down on his lip as there was an explosion inside of her. It started between her legs and rocketed through her entire body, crippling and blinding her with another wave of pleasure. His breath hitched, smiling into their kiss. Suki was shaking in pleasure, the tightening of her velvet walls forcing him to rock against her in slow, long strokes.

Feeling him come inside her, fill her, forced Suki to scream out gently, nails digging into his back.

Zuko smiled, nipping at her lips playfully as he pulled away, looking down on her.

"That was..." She breathed.

"Ok?"

"Perfect." She shifted under him, for the first time noticing the feeling of his members inside of her. She made note of how it felt, how it was to have him there.

With a flick of his hips he was removed from her, another hiss of pain filling her. He looked down between them, his cock hanging in the space. "I have some bad news, Suki."

"Oh?" She sighed a bit, looking at him with a frown. A hand went to his face, finger nails raking over the scales covering his eye.

"I don't think you'll work for the virgin sacrifice now."

Suki looked down between them, seeing the smear of blood on Zuko, and the pool if it between her legs on the bed. She could not help but laugh, looking back up at him. "I'm ok with it." She purred, leaning up and kissing him tenderly.


End file.
